


oh baby, can't you see

by commovente



Series: SASO2016: bonus round 2 [1]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Developing Relationship, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-11
Updated: 2016-06-11
Packaged: 2018-07-14 10:01:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7166621
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/commovente/pseuds/commovente
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>akaashi keiji’s comprehensive list of all 37 of bokuto-san’s weaknesses.</p><blockquote>
  <p> “eh, did you grow taller, akaashi?”<br/>“i… don’t think so.”<br/>“really? i swear i only lift my hand this high to pat your head but, look, i’m poking your eyes instead.”<br/>“bokuto-san, please stop that right now.”</p>
</blockquote>
            </blockquote>





	oh baby, can't you see

**Author's Note:**

> written as a prompt fill for SASO 2016, bonus round 2: images. the original prompt is [here](http://sportsanime.dreamwidth.org/13854.html?thread=5095710#cmt5095710).
> 
>  
> 
> title from _everlasting light_ by the black keys: [(x)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZoDnqhpRh8).

> **_weakness #37:_ **

> _when bokuto-san becomes fixated on one thing, he’ll completely forget how to do anything else._

 

 

_#36_

“akaashi!”

“yes, bokuto-san?”

“hey, hey, look at this… and this… and hey, akaashi, did you see this on tv the other day!”

 

(and when he gets excited about too many things, keiji forgets about everything else.)

 

 

_#35_

bokuto-san never forgets the importance of sleep, though. keiji’d probably be more relieved if this didn’t mean bokuto calling keiji up at all hours of the night because _he’s_ already caught up on his sleep during third period history.

 

 

_#34_

“one more toss, akaashi!”

“that’s what you said five tosses ago.”

“but you gave them to me anyway, so it’s fine, right? c’mon, akaashi…”

 

(he’s always been too stubborn for his own good.)

 

 

_#33_

but even then, bokuto-san’s stubbornness is only equally matched by his lionhearted generosity:

 

“eh? don’cha have a muffler today, akaashi? that’s not like you, here, take mine —.”

“bokuto-san, there’s barely any wind today. and your nose is red. please keep the muffler.”

“are you sure, ‘cause we can totally share — hey! why don’t we? akaashi.”

“because then we’ll both get sick. i’ll walk you to the infirmary before homeroom.”

 

(…even if he doesn’t have anything more to give.)

 

 

_#32_

“whatcha workin’ on, akaashi? looks troublesome. y’know, you can always come to me whenever you want.”

keiji smiles. “i’ll keep that in mind, then. thank you for offering, bokuto-san.”

“anytime!”

“so this means you don’t need me proofreading your biology reports anymore, right?”

“…hey, hey, let’s not go too far here, akaashi.”

 

( _especially_ when he doesn’t have anything more to give.)

 

 

_#31_

still, for all that bokuto-san’s near impossible to contain, keiji’s no paradigm of self-restraint, himself. it just takes more effort to notice next to bokuto, is all, since keiji usually channels his focus into letting bokuto shine bolder and bolder, louder and more and more. _everything in moderation, huh._ keiji supposes it’s something they both could use some work on:

 

“would you mind staying behind a bit after practice, bokuto-san? i’d like to tighten up the new a-quick before friday’s practice match.”

“eh, you sure? i thought you didn’t wanna overwork before the match.”

“it’ll only take another twenty minutes, but if you’d rather not, that’s fine too —.”

except bokuto-san’s already pushing out another cart of volleyballs at this point, so keiji figures he doesn’t mind too much after all.

 

 

_#30_

it still doesn’t mean keiji will go along with every new whimsy running through bokuto’s head. or, in this case, bokuto’s recurring requests for team barbecues rising back into prominence every few weeks. 

 

(complete with his insistence of helping out with the cooking.)

 

 

_#29_

“bokuto-san…”

“i know, i know. akaashi, remind us to never eat this much again.”

“i’d say _i told you so_ but actually, bokuto-san, could you please just pass me the water? i think i’m gonna…”

“geh — hang in there, akaashi, i can’t move so far so fast, hold up — !”

 

(and they never seem to stop tearing off more than they can chew, in more ways than one.)

 

 

_#28_

impulse control (or lack thereof):

 

“oh, good timing! i saw this at a store the other day and thought it’d suit you, so i — hey, hey, did you buy the matching one, too, akaashi?”

“if you don’t want it —.”

bokuto’s already swiped the cellphone strap from keiji’s offering hands.

“i’ll hang it on my phone every day! here, here, hang yours on your phone, now, too.”

 

 

_#27_

“no, no, no, akaashi. i’m never going to get another spike in ever again, i should just, just, stop _right now —.”_

“i’ll be setting for you again in ten minutes, bokuto-san. please take this time to recover thoroughly.”

 

if push comes to shove, keiji will admit it’s when bokuto loses his impulses and spontaneity that trouble him most of all.

 

 

_#26_

not that keiji’s ever considered actually admitting this. bokuto’s joys and sorrows are a constant whiplash beyond quantifying in words.

 

“didya see that, akaashi? _didya see that!_ sakusa or ushiwaka can’t hold a candle to me, bokuto koutarou — oi, akaashi, are you listening…!”

 

 

_#25_

“woah, you’re really good at this, akaashi. maybe i should let you tape my fingers all the time.”

“i’d rather you stop getting them in a state they need taping at all.”

“yeah, yeah, but still.”

keiji huffs, taps the back of bokuto’s and with his fingers once, twice. 

“i know. you worked hard, bokuto-san.”

 

there are other ways to express thoughts without words.

 

 

_#24_

…and then there are words that say so much more than the sum of their syllables.

 

“thanks for staying so late with me, akaashi. you’ve probably got all sorts of other stuff to be doing after school, huh.”

“thanks for the concern, bokuto-san, but. i’ll be staying back this time tomorrow, too, so i’ll be in your care.”

 

 

_#23_

“we’ll get them next time. we _will_. just you wait and see, akaashi.”

bokuto is probably the ugliest crier keiji’s ever seen.

“…i never planned on doing anything else, bokuto-san.”

it’s just as well that keiji’s not much of looker through his tears, either.

 

accepting there’s no hard or fast rule to follow in order to avoid losing is one thing, but accepting loss itself is entirely another.

 

 

_#22_

it doesn’t stop bokuto from crying a lot more than he probably should, but keiji’s trying not to keep count.

 

“i’m just so _happy,_ akaashi, they found each other, look, look —.”

“we’re the only ones left in the theatre, bokuto-san.”

 

 

_#21_

bokuto remembers the smallest things and forgets so much else it’s actually sort of incredible. 

 

“eh, did you grow taller, akaashi?”

“i… don’t think so.”

“really? i swear i only lift my hand _this_ high to pat your head but, look, i’m poking your eyes instead.”

“bokuto-san, please stop that right now.”

 

what’s most incredible of all, though, is how bokuto’s muscle memory holds close so much more than even keiji can think to keep track.

 

 

_#20_

he sleeptalks, too, and keiji realises too late in his first training camp at fukurodani why none of the other senpai minded bokuto setting keiji’s futon next to his. later, keiji also discovers bokuto’s unconscious muttering get louder the more stressed bokuto feels. it doesn’t make it any easier for keiji to fall asleep knowing it, though.

 

 

_#19_

and when he’s happy, bokuto snuffles out the softest of snores, and those aren’t any simpler to ignore, either.

 

 

_#18_

“…ji. keiji,” bokuto calls over his shoulder. “c’mon, c’mon, the yakiniku’s this way, we gotta get some before the fireworks start, let’s go —.”

“what.” keiji tries again. “bokuto-san, what… did you just say?”

bokuto blinks. “yakiniku?”

 

bokuto’s mouth always moves faster than the rest of him.

 

 

_#17_

…not that the rest of him trails very far behind.

 

“bokuto-san, you’ve gotten heavier.”

“muscle, akaashi, that’s all muscle, right there.”

“…”

“ _oi_ — don’t ignore me, akaashi! this’ll help you build up muscle, too, so let’s go, go, go!”

“i’m pretty sure you just want a piggyback ride, bokuto-san.”

 

 

_#16_

still, keiji doesn’t mind helping bokuto carry all the weight.

 

“you spoil him, you know,” konoha leans over the back of his seat on the bus. bokuto is between akaashi and the window, having called dibs on the seat only to knock out not two minutes after the bus started up.

  
“don’t worry,” keiji replies, “i’ll be sure to pass him onto you when he wakes up.”

“ha,” konoha grins. “whatever you say. you’re still gonna be the one with bokuto-drool on your jersey.”

 

 

_#15_

more often than not, bokuto insists helping keiji carry his.

 

“bokuto-san, i _can_ hold onto my own textbooks, you know.”

“yeah, but see here, we’re almost to your class anyway! so hey, akaashi, listen to what sarukui got komi into over the weekend…”

 

 

_#14_

“hey, hey, hey, akaashi!”

“bokuto-san? i thought all the third years had career interviews this afternoon…”

bokuto’s smile doesn’t falter, but his beeline for keiji in the middle of the gym does. keiji’s eyes narrow.

“you can’t just ignore things like this, bokuto-san.”

“i’m not ignoring them,” bokuto insists, “and it’s not a problem, so… can we please work on some quicks right now? it’s been ages since i spiked something.”

“bokuto-san.” keiji’s eyes crinkle more gently. “you’ve been helping us practice every day this week.”

 

 

_#13_

bokuto doesn’t apologise for anything, because he believes _life’s gotta be lived so there’s nothing left to regret, akaashi._ which is why keiji’s not apologising right now either, no matter how much bokuto protests, because keiji’s gotten all his assignments done already but bokuto hasn’t finished a single page of problem sets since they made a nest in a corner of the library.

 

 

_#12_

so really, there’s no giveaway more obvious than when bokuto does apologise:

 

“that was some match, huh.” the tv’s been off for a while now, but keiji knows what bokuto’s talking about.

“fukurodani’s gonna do even better, next year,” keiji says. it’s not the best thing he could’ve said, but it’s not the worst, either.

“next year… yeah, yeah. still, akaashi, i —.”

“we’re going to win next year,” keiji interrupts. “but i don’t regret anything about the way we played this year, bokuto-san.”

 

 

_#11_

which is probably for the best, because bokuto’s really rather terrible at trying to say sorry.

 

“…you’ll go far, akaashi. definitely.”

“so will you, bokuto-san.”

“i’ll come see all of your matches! i’ll cheer louder than everyone else!”

“i’m sure you will, bokuto-san.”

“it’s a promise, and i always keep my promises, so don’t — don’t —.”

“bokuto-san. i’ve never doubted you once.”

 

 

_#10_

bokuto’s always going beyond everyone’s expectations of him, right when they start thinking maybe they’ve got him all figured out.

 

“i can’t believe,” konoha sniffs, “you’re the only one not crying right now. get out.”

bokuto laughs, giving the team gathered to send off the graduating third years with a thumbs up. keiji tries to laugh, too, but mostly he just watches everyone else and smiles, taking each breath with care.

 

 

_#09_

and always, always, bokuto stays true to his word till the end.

 

keiji thought everyone else had already left once he locks up the clubroom, ready to head home, but bokuto’s waiting for him by the gates.

“bokuto-san.”

“hey, akaashi. you got a minute?”

“how many do you need,” keiji says, reaching into his pocket for the pack of tissues there, just in case.

 

 

_#08_

…but in the end, bokuto’s as human as everyone else, and keiji knows this, too.

 

bokuto blows into a tissue, the rest of the pack already transferred from keiji’s hands to his. “i didn’ wanna give it to ya in front of everyone else, akaashi, i mean… what if you didn’ want it? what if —.”

keiji’s hand wraps tight around the button now safe in his palm, the hold of his fingers.

“bokuto-san.”

“it wouldn’t be fair, i don’t want ya takin’ it cause you feel like you gotta, akaashi…”

“bokuto-san.”

“thanks for coming out here with me anyway, i just wanted —.”

_“bokuto-san.”_

bokuto blinks at keiji, who’d yanked bokuto’s non-tissue holding hand into his own and slipped something inside. the button gleams up at them both beneath the setting sun.

“eh, akaashi, that’s. this. you — ?”

“it’s mine,” keiji clarifies. “but, if you want, i’d like you to hold onto it, too.”

 

 

_#07_

bokuto’s not much at secret-keeping, though.

 

“you did it, you actually went and _did it_ ,” sarukui says, the fifth time in just as many minutes.

“you’re all grown up now,” agrees washio.

“senpai,” keiji says mildly, “i’m going to hang up.”

“do what you like,” crows konoha, “i mean, you’ve already given bokuto your second button while you’re at it, so _really_ —.”

keiji cuts the call, exasperated and endeared.

 

 

_#06_

if there’s one thing that comes from bokuto wearing his heart on his sleeve, it’s that keiji sees him visit fukurodani more often than keiji’d have the nerve to reciprocate, in any other circumstances.

 

“hey, hey, hey — akaashi, captaincy suits you!”

“bokuto-san, you’re disturbing practice.”

“ehh, so these are the new first years? nice to meetcha, i’m —.”

“bokuto-san. don’t you have your own practices to attend?”

 

 

_#05_

time management will likely never stop being an issue.

 

bokuto’s voice despairs from the other end of the line: “gah, i wanted to come over but i just… university assignments take ages longer to finish, akaashi, i think i’m gonna go grey before i see you again, akaashi, what if i wake up tomorrow morning and all my hair’s —.”

“bokuto-san,” keiji laughs. “please open your front door.”

 

 

_#04_

waiting outside the door, keiji hangs up the call, just in time to hear bokuto drop something before answering the door. it’s probably his phone.

 

he never could multitask, bokuto-san, all or nothing all the time with his head and his heart and his hands. swinging the door open with much more force than necessary, keiji looks at bokuto and something inside his chest there’s a tug, a small reminder of things that stay the same.

 

 

_#03_

bokuto’s voice never gets any less loud, too.

 

“wh - how - you’re here! you’re here!  _akaaaaaashi!!!!”_

 

 

_#02_

worse still, keiji finds continued exposure makes it almost impossible to get mad at bokuto for it, these days. not that he’ll ever mention this to him, or else keiji’d _really_ start having a problem.

 

 

_#01_

“akaashi. a - kaa - shi. keiji.”

“yes, koutarou-san?”

“nothing, i just wanna say your na — _akaashi?_ ”

 

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading!


End file.
